Editor's Note: The following articles were aggregated from several news organizations in Missouri. You can read more about each story by clicking on the headline.
Missouri leaders call for fiscal cliff solution (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
A bipartisan group of Missouri leaders gathered at the Capitol Monday to call on Congress to address the looming fiscal cliff and the growing federal debt.
Former Republican U.S. Sen. Kit Bond called the country’s growing $16 trillion debt situation “a real national crisis.”
“Everything has to be on the table,” he said. “We have a problem in spending, we have a problem in revenues and we have a problem in growth.”
Missourian in quest to free Bangladeshi newspaper owner from jail (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
A Missouri-native lobbyist known for his political savvy is working to free a Bangladeshi newspaper owner who could be executed by the government he criticizes.
Gregg Hartley is leading a team seeking the release of Mir Qasem Ali by a government that is putting political opponents on trial in a war crimes tribunal.
Hartley’s task is persuading Congress, the U.S. government and other nations to come to the defense of Ali, who has been held in a Bangladeshi jail since June.
“Unless other governments raise enough stink, the consequences for him could be dire,” Hartley said.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announces plea in mortgage forgery case (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
A woman from Georgia will plead guilty in a high-profile Missouri mortgage forgery case in which thousands of home loan documents were processed with falsified signatures.
Lorraine Brown, president of DocX — a Georgia-based document processing company that assisted lenders with mortgages across the country — will serve two to three years in prison after admitting to charges of forgery, perjury and making a false declaration in Boone and Jackson counties, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced Tuesday.
According to Koster, Brown instructed employees who were not authorized to sign mortgage documents to sign the names of others who were authorized to do so. Some of those documents were then used in foreclosure proceedings against financially strapped borrowers.
Campaign trail: 'Transparency' put to test as lawmakers target politically active nonprofits (St. Louis Beacon)
Even though Republicans said that removing contribution limits would stop big political donations from being concealed, some nonprofit organizations have put a crimp in that argument. The groups – 501(c)(4)s – spent huge amounts of money in the last election without disclosing donors. Now, a GOP lawmaker is working on legislation to force nonprofits that engage in political activity to disclose their donors.
Koster, Kander and Zweifel endorse Slay's bid for fourth mayoral term (St. Louis Beacon)
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay's Thanksgiving blessings include a lengthening list of supportive fellow Democrats, including Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, state Treasurer Clint Zweifel and Secretary of State-elect Jason Kander.
There are hundreds of small business that build wheelchairs, kidney dialysis, physical therapy equip and earn about $60,000 per year 2012. Starting 2013,This 2.3% "excise" obamacare tax is imposed on every dollar of sale. $23,000 tax (on $1m sales) a mandatory new-tax , whether they earn a cent. That makes a $60,000 net profit person earn only $37,000. Look how many Dems are now "SORRY" for this job losing tax. Today's online news Flash "Sixteen Democratic senators who voted for the Affordable Care Act are asking that one of its fundraising mechanisms, a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices scheduled to take effect January 1, be delayed. Echoing arguments made by Republicans against Obamacare, the Democratic senators say the levy will cost jobs — in a statement Monday, Sen. Al Franken called it a “job-killing tax” — and also impair American competitiveness in the medical device field. The senators, who made the request in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, are Franken, Richard Durbin, Charles Schumer, Patty Murray, John Kerry, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Klobuchar, Joseph Lieberman, Ben Nelson, Robert Casey, Debbie Stabenow, Barbara Mikulski, Kay Hagan, Herb Kohl, Jeanne Shaheen, and Richard Blumenthal. All voted for Obamacare." This medical field is responsible for over 2mil skilled jobs all in jeopardy, because of these TAXES.
Also, you clearly have a habit of throwing out false numbers since you still haven't backed up your niece's salary. If anybody else said this I'd more inclined to believe them
But , you sir, will not read my words in full context. I said a $100k "SHOULD pay more, but our current system does not make that true." Why? Because a $100k person in a $125,000 Home pays less tax than a $50k person living in a $150,000 house. That's just one example. Now do you see why the system is unfair to the poor/needy who are paying up to 10% of their income for "Free education"/ Just because they Own a Home or have a bank mortgage.on top the "Teacher Pension annual mortgage obligation". That is why PS should be funded based on "income levels". Now , I have a dis-honest question for you. When will you start "sticking your nose in support of those hundreds of residents our educators are stealing from?"
Have yourself a merry, merry Christmas. Do delete emails that make no sense.
That said, property tax is a stupid way to fund schools. The most expensive students to educate - inner city minority kids from multigenerational poverty - have the least resources under a property tax system and continue to suffer. School tax should be levied at the state level and distributed according to district needs.
You, of all people and should be able to figure out that Warren Buffett did not take $90 billion in bailout money..... go back and "research." some more.
Let me see if I understand what's going on here. The election is over so you have nothing to complain about. So now you have decided to pick on teachers? Who's next? Policemen? Firemen? Ambulance drivers? If it weren't for teachers, PaulRevere, you would have zero education. Which is infinitely more than you currently have. Hey, you can't put back what G-d left out.
Can Richer person "freeload" the current system. Let's try another "odds" Do our schools depend on Auto Pers prop taxes? 2 residents own an "impala auto". Fairness!? The $50k & the $100k resident pay the same auto tax? Should they? "ODDS" are that our residents making less than $50k are paying inordinately more in support of "Free" public schools. It is sickening , to reveal other inequities (lowAprraisals) in this Archaic way to get our children educated at the lowest possible cost for ALL society. Odds of higher homes, odds of different cars, odds of operating businesses out of homes, Odds Odds Odds. That is not the way to gamble our education dollars. It is time to restructure the whole public education cost in Missouri. Let's start by eliminating the whole "wealth tax on Homes and autos". Those are the 2 most necessary living needs of every middleAmerican parent. To tax them until the day they die for a service they may or may not need is "Immoral". It costs about $9,000 per student at most public schools in County. I say anyone making $100k per year can afford to pay $9,000 for their child's education. Let's really find out who the freeloaders are in the public school districts. Let's find out how many of "you's" are perfectly Ok with paying your "FULL" share. (of this stupid currnt system) Look at PublicSchl portion of your Real est& auto taxes. Are you paying $9,000? Who is?
1) Teachers are the pawns of a Leadership that has stolen the money of those parents who can least afford a $9,000 education cost per child. 2) I have never said a word of Police or Firemen because They serve ALL of us Daily, For the rest of our lives. They will be dealt with when competitive Firemen are available. 3) How nice of you to remind me that I was indeed taught everything I know by "TEACHERS". Yes sir, I was taught to play drums, I was taught to play piano, I was taught to Drive a car, I was even taught "manners", I was taught "morals", I even was taught to read. My teachers were Nuns, and priests, and musicians and lay people who were simply "instructional focused". F/Y/I I also teach clients how to run businesses. Is that the kind of Teacher you are thinking about? That's where you and I split--No Parent NEEDS public school teachers-- they need educators. All parents have access to education anywhere in the district. Flash!--Public school teachers have competition, always have. they can get it for less than $9,000. You say "If it weren't for teachers , I would have zero education". Without Taxation, you would have ZERO teachers. At least I paid for ALL my education.(even my Music) Not one cent of tax to my neighbor. So you go on and keep showing your childish name calling education off to the rest of our readers here.
Claire bought stock in those companies just prior to those bailouts (just the handy example, because their are plenty more of them who did the same thing), for all intents & purposes, insider-trading. How about this? I'll give you facts & you can disprove them if you don't think they are true. Just making another uninformed (or purchased) statement attempting to claim it didn't happen just because Rachel Maddow didn't tell you about it, isn't enough. You are right though, it was likely more, but I stopped looking after $90 million. Contrary to your belief, I'm not here to convince you of anything. I'm here to show you just some of the things the people you trust are hiding from you. You either want to see them or you don't. This is for your benefit, not mine, I did my homework.
And it was your claim (from your "research") that Warren Buffett received $90 billion in bailout money.. So I have nothing to refute. Here. let me help you. breitbart.com Control C, Control V.
Resident tax alone can no longer afford "Free Pub Ed" Now Lotto-Casinos-Tobacco-Settlement-Cigarettes taxes are needed because the old system is FAILING. Union-Teachers, Act like REAL PROFESSIONALS.There are no lawyer, Doctors etc with master contracts dictating their income needs for all. Just like there are no Master "Prof hair stylist" contracts dictating all Hair stylist prices. Public school teachers should follow that Principle, if they want to call themselves Professionals. How many families use union waged electricians or plumbers, or carpenters or union painters to fix up their homes?We all know , the job can be done for much less cost. Should families have that choice in Education? Who mandates we all must have a union Teacher?Over 70% of MO workers have non-union jobs. Our tax supported Public schools should reflect that in their work force. Taxpayer workers have that right to demand a lower cost structure for "Free Public Education".
As I ponder another thousand questions that are left unanswered by this great Professional Teachers society here. Clearly, you are all a group boldly using "war on teachers" as my agenda, but neglecting to admit that your continued support of the current public school funding system will lead to poorer people inside your district. Look at Detroit! So go ahead and ignore "PaulRevere" warnings. You know history. History is on my side. I am here to Educate. Educate those that can read and understand. So, sit back and be educated as you will continue to read and understand the marvels of competition and "affordable education" in society. How about an "affordable Public education ACT?" Is that talking your language?
The NEA isn't really a union. It's an association. The NEA doesn't have any real teeth to it. If a school district wants to get rid of a teacher, even a tenured teacher, it isn't hard to do. Being tenured means you get a 90-day notice.
Funny you bring up knowing history. Your namesake went to public school in Massachusetts. Your knowledge of history is shallow at best.
John B. is not willing to deal until the last minute because he will lose Tea Party support and possibly his job next year. The current plan is based on severe Republican cuts to spending and severe Democratic increaes in revenue. I agree with those who say doing nothing until the Federal taxes increase to the Clinton levels for everyone. They say if this happens we will have tough going for 6 months, but then the economy will start getting better. In the mean time, Congress can do some sacrificing and pass bills that will create jobs.
On the other hand, the debt limit is not the key to the problem. Europe has tried a austerity and it only made the problem debt-to-GDP get worse even though the debt goes down, the GDP goes down faster. While the majority of Americans elected a president who said taxes should go up on those making over 1/4 of million dollars per year, the effected 2% are against any tax riase even though higher taxes will start the economy growing again. They believe that blocking the election outcome by using their influence on the House majority, regardless of the election mandate.